"Of course, filters and perspective can play tricks on you. Reached for comment, Paul Meyer of the NASA Earth Science Office offered another photo of the hurricane. In this one, Meyer says that he sees the 'head of a pretty happy dog, perhaps a Saint Bernard, with a rabies tag on its collar,'” writes Steven Hoffer, senior editor at The Huffington Post.

Hurricane Matthew is the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade. It whipped Cuba and Haiti with 230 kph winds and torrential rains, pummeling towns and destroying livestock, crops and homes.

In the United States, millions of people were urged to evacuate the southeastern coast and Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned residents to prepare for a possible direct hit that could be catastrophic.

"Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," Scott told a news conference in Tallahassee. "If Matthew directly impacts Florida, the destruction could be catastrophic and you need to be prepared."